Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale [LSRP-26]

Scale Description

The Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP-26) is a self-report psychometric instrument developed by Levenson, Kiehl, and Fitzpatrick (1995) to assess psychopathic personality traits, particularly in non-institutionalized and general populations. The scale consists of 26 items and provides a quantitative assessment of individual differences in characteristics associated with psychopathy.

The original theoretical structure of the LSRP distinguishes between two primary dimensions:

Primary Psychopathy: This dimension primarily reflects interpersonal and affective characteristics, including manipulativeness, emotional coldness, reduced empathy, self-centeredness, and limited concern for the feelings or needs of others.

Secondary Psychopathy: This dimension is more strongly associated with behavioral and lifestyle characteristics, including impulsivity, difficulties with behavioral control, risk-taking tendencies, restlessness, and a greater tendency toward poorly planned or socially deviant behavior.

The LSRP has been widely applied in personality, psychological, and behavioral research to investigate psychopathic traits and their relationships with other psychological and social characteristics. Importantly, the LSRP should be considered a psychometric assessment instrument rather than a stand-alone diagnostic tool for diagnosing psychopathy or any specific mental disorder.

Objective

The primary objective of the LSRP-26 is to provide a systematic and quantitative assessment of personality characteristics associated with psychopathy through a relatively brief self-report procedure.

The scale enables researchers to examine individual differences in the interpersonal, affective, and behavioral manifestations of psychopathic traits. It can also be used to investigate their associations with other psychological constructs, including personality characteristics, empathy, aggression, impulsivity, antisocial behavior, and interpersonal functioning.

The LSRP is primarily used in research settings, including studies involving community, student, correctional, and other specialized populations. Interpretation of the results should take into consideration the psychometric properties of the specific version used, the characteristics of the population under investigation, and the broader context of assessment.

Scoring

The LSRP-26 consists of 26 statements in which respondents indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with each statement.

The response format may vary depending on the version or adaptation of the instrument. In versions employing a five-point Likert scale, responses can be coded as follows:

1 – Strongly Disagree
2 – Disagree
3 – Neither Agree nor Disagree
4 – Agree
5 – Strongly Agree

Certain items require reverse scoring before the relevant subscale scores are calculated. Scores can subsequently be calculated for the Primary and Secondary Psychopathy dimensions according to the scoring key of the specific version being administered.

Higher scores generally indicate a greater presence of the corresponding psychopathic characteristics. However, elevated scores should not be interpreted independently as evidence of a clinical diagnosis.

Data Analysis

Statistical analysis of the LSRP-26 may include the calculation of total and subscale scores, together with descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations, medians, and ranges.

The internal consistency of the scale and its dimensions can be evaluated using reliability indices such as Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. In psychometric validation studies, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) or confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) may also be conducted to investigate the underlying factor structure of the instrument.

Depending on the research objectives, LSRP scores may be examined in relation to demographic, social, behavioral, or psychological variables using correlation analyses, group comparisons, regression models, or other appropriate multivariate statistical techniques.

Applications

The LSRP-26 has been used extensively in research examining psychopathy and related personality characteristics across both community and specialized populations. Its self-report format makes it particularly useful for large-scale research in which efficient assessment of psychopathic traits is required.

Potential fields of application include personality psychology, forensic psychology, social psychology, behavioral research, and psychopathology research. The scale can also contribute to studies investigating relationships between psychopathic characteristics and constructs such as aggression, empathy, impulsivity, interpersonal functioning, and antisocial behavior.

As with other self-report instruments, results may be influenced by factors such as social desirability, individual self-awareness, response style, and willingness to provide accurate information. Therefore, when comprehensive clinical or individualized assessment is required, the LSRP should ideally be interpreted alongside additional assessment methods and relevant contextual information.

References

Levenson, M. R., Kiehl, K. A., & Fitzpatrick, C. M. (1995). Assessing psychopathic attributes in a noninstitutionalized population. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68(1), 151–158.

Gaughan, E. T., Miller, J. D., & Lynam, D. R. (2009). Examining the utility of general models of personality in the study of psychopathy: A comparison of the HEXACO-PI-R and NEO PI-R. Journal of Personality Disorders, 23(6), 513–523.

Walters, G. D., Brinkley, C. A., Magaletta, P. R., & Diamond, P. M. (2008). Taxometric analysis of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 90(5), 491–498.

Sellbom, M. (2011). Elaborating on the construct validity of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale in incarcerated and non-incarcerated samples. Law and Human Behavior, 35(6), 440–451.